Trapped In A Box
by Faith1
Summary: Breaking News. Heero Yuy is hereby found guilty of murder and high treason. The sentence is death. With only 22 hours to go, is there any hope left? There is if Duo Maxwell has anything to do with it. 1x2x1. Part 4 up!
1. The Set Up

Gundam Wing is not mine.

Pairings: 1x2x1, background 3x4

Warnings: Angst, bad language

This has been playing on my mind for a long while. I hope you like it!

1. The Set Up

"Heero Yuy, the UNES high court has found you guilty of multiple counts of murder and high treason. The severity of your crimes combined with your mottled past has led this court to believe that you are beyond rehabilitation. Heero Yuy, you are hereby sentenced to death by lethal injection. May God have mercy on –."

"God damnit, you bastards!" Duo said, flinging his mug at the TV and effectively breaking the judge's image. His hands sank into his hair and he pulled at the roots, the slight pain seemed to be the only normal thing in the world.

"What do we do now?" Quatre breathed, the outcome he had most feared now made reality. The whole case against Heero had been put together with ruthless precision and even the most expensive legal team in the UNES couldn't pick it apart. He leaned back against the wall even as Duo sprang to his feet.

"This isn't real, they can't - " he stopped short, unable to finish the thought, let alone the sentence. He regretted breaking the TV. He needed to see Heero. Now. His eyes turned instantly to the wealthy friend leaning against his kitchen wall. Why the hell hadn't he tapped this resource before?

"I need money, Quatre,"

"I'm sorry?"

"Cash, I need lots of it. I'm going to see Heero." Duo's infamous nicknames had disappeared into the ether. He felt detached and determined. His best friend wasn't feeling anything at all. He reached into his back pocket and handed over wallet and cards to the agitated brunette.

"2590" As soon as the pin number left Quatre's mouth, Duo was gone. The door slammed shut behind him.

-----------------

"Chang Wufei,"

"Wufei, it's me."

"Duo? I just saw the news, are you -?"

"I need your Preventer contacts,"

"Anything,"

"Meet me outside AIS Prison in an hour,"

"I won't be party to –."

"I'll tread softly, no worries,"

"You can't get him out of there, you know that?"

"I just need to see him,"

"..."

"Wufei,"

"..."

"Get your head out of your ass Chang. You gonna help me?"

"I'll meet you in an hour. By the goods entrance."

"Thanks 'Fei."

-----------------

After living the first sixteen years of his life expecting death at any minute, Heero Yuy had thought that this moment would be easy. Not so much. He had a job now, a real job complete with a salary, benefits and a company car. He had two fish, Sandy and Heavy, and a big black Labrador called Scythe. He was married. Going on three years now. Duo Maxwell was so important, meant so much, that Heero's heart perpetually ached. In a good way mostly. He glanced at his watch. All of that was going to end in 22 hours and Heero Yuy was scared.

The whole world thought he was a psychopathic monster and he hadn't seen anyone other than guards and lawyers and judges since his arrest. He felt sick at the thought that his friends, his husband, might think he was guilty. Most of all, he didn't want to die without seeing Duo again. His last memory was Duo's shocked faced as Preventers stormed their house and dragged Heero away in handcuffs.

"God damnit, Duo," Heero had no hopes of a rescue; the people he had worked for knew him and his fellow pilots too well for that. He was kept in total isolation at all times. Hands and feet bound in gundanium in a cell that was built to withstand nuclear blasts. He was screwed. 21 hours, 50 minutes left. "Damnit." Lethal injection though, what was that about? They could at least have let him go out with a bang. Electric chair, firing squad, hell, he'd even take a good old-fashioned hanging. Instead he was being put to sleep like a dangerous dog, best kept out of sight and mind. That was degrading.

Multiple footsteps sounded outside his door. Heero froze, muscles tensing, adrenaline flowing. He had been told they wouldn't come again until the execution. It was possible they would start proceedings early, just in case of any last minute stays. /_Rescue?_/ Or maybe some vengeful guards had finally decided to try and have a play. It wasn't like he'd be around to tell anyone. He could hear the multiple layers of security being deactivated one at a time and he held himself as ready as he could, what with being chained to the wall and all.

The door opened.

A chestnut blur burst through and was wrapped around Heero's body before the young man even had time to react. Duo. The familiar smell, the comforting warmth enveloped him and all Heero wanted was his arms to be free so that he could return the much needed hug. Deep inside though, the soldier was painfully aware of that open door that led to freedom and every second that ticked by.

"Duo, we need to go. Can you get these cuffs off?" Heero said in as gentle a voice as possible. There was no answer except for the tightening of arms. "Duo, love, come on. We have to go, okay?"

A sickening instinct that all wasn't as he thought began to rise inside him. A feeling that only intensified as his husband slowly pulled back to look at him with desolate eyes. A bleak smile pulled at Heero's lips.

"You aren't the rescue party?" he guessed. Duo nodded slowly. "You came to say goodbye," Heero lost the hard edge of a smile as the finality of that last word hit him like a sucker punch. Duo's hair flew as he shook his head in vehmenent denial.

"'Ro, we tried but we can't...I couldn't find a way out this time." Duo said, voice thick with barely reigned emotion.

"You have two minutes," came the suspicious statement of an armed guard from the doorway. /_No!_/ Heero strained against his chains. Reality crashing down around his ears. The last time. If he didn't find a way out now this would be the last time he saw Duo, smelled his scent, heard his voice. "Quiet down or I'll pop both of you now." The guard ordered nervously as Heero almost wrenched his arm out of the socket.

"Shh, 'Ro, God I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me?" Duo's voice bought his husband's last desperate escape attempt to an end. He laid his forehead against Duo's. He wanted his arms free.

"There's nothing to forgive, love. But tell me. Please tell me you didn't believe – "

"Not for a second,"

"Kiss me," It was the most bittersweet kiss they had ever shared. One man so aware that this was the last time he would touch his husband and trying to remember every detail, every breath, every tingle. Praying this would be enough to sustain him on the lonely nights to come. The other trying to forget that this kiss was to be his last free act in life. To give himself up to it and not dwell on the waiting needle, or that his husband would be left a widower.

"Time's up."

"No..."  
"Fuck no, it's not enough time, please, it's not enough time," Their tears mingled together, they didn't know who protested first. Both felt the guillotine slipping closer to their necks.

"Back away from the condemned, sir,"

"Damnit Heero, you find a way out of this. Don't let them – fight it 'Ro. You won't die. You won't leave me? Promise me?" Duo's voice was low and harsh, though it began to waver towards the end. Heero hadn't known his heart could hurt this much. The soldier in him heard the guard's gun cock and he twisted to make Duo break his hold.

"You have to let go now love," Heero whispered, a whole new fear possessing him as the guard moved restlessly.

"No!" Duo's reaction burst from his lips. "I won't let you go like this! You swear to me 'Ro. Swear it now or the only way I'm leaving this cell is in a fucking body bag!"

"Okay, I swear. I promise, okay?" Heero's voice was tight with tears and desperation.

Another figure slipped into the room and joined the guard. They moved to either side of Duo and grasped him firmly at the elbows.

"Maxwell, we have to go," Wufei said firmly, Heero drank in the sight of his brother in arms for a long moment before turning his complete attention back to his husband. He stretched forward and placed a last tender kiss on those salt-laced lips.

"I love you, Duo. I'll find a way. I swear,"

"You better, 'Ro, damnit. I love –," Duo's last sentence was cut short as Wufei and the guard decided they had already stayed too long and pulled the braided man back and out of Heero's cell. The door closed behind them with a quiet click. They were gone. Duo was gone. And now Heero had a promise to keep.

Heero sat slumped on the floor, his mind still spinning from the shock of Duo's unexpected arrival and departure. He had made a promise. With Duo there before him, anything had seemed possible. Now, back to reality, he realised that his situation was just as hopeless as it had been 14 minutes ago. He was still in gundanium cuffs, still in a state of the art cell, still without hope of a rescue. And now he had only 21 hours, 36 minutes left.

Damnit.

To Be Continued...

Review, let me know what you think! I'm rusty at the fanfiction gig!


	2. The Helpers

Here's the second installment. Thanks for the reviews so far, hope you like it!

2. The Helpers

"You have 20 hours left, what do you want?"

"I need to send a message,"

"You saw your hot little husband already. You forget to say somethin'?"

"..."

"Sit your ass down."

"..."

"That's better. You called for me, what do you want?"

"I need to send a message. It's urgent,"

"What's in it for me?"

"I can give you codes to a bank account."

"I don't need money. AIS pays pretty well, anything else you wanna offer?"

"I don't have time for games."

"Well, good job I'm a fast mover. You give me twenty minutes. I'll send your message.

"..."

"Deal?"

"...Deal."

--------------------

From H. Yuy.

To J.

Btls A5. Code black.

--------------------

"Hello, my boy," said J as he shuffled into the room. "You're lucky I was in the area." Heero raised an eyebrow at his former mentor. From his position on the floor J seemed to tower over him, much as he had done when he was first taken into his care.

"You haven't been watching my case?" Dr. J chuckled gruffly.

"You know me too well," he said. "What did you do to those people? They really have it in for you."

"What does it matter now?" Heero said with a shrug.

"I matters a lot and you know it," J replied. "You asked for help. Whatever you did or didn't do, you've made a lot of enemies." The sense of optimism Heero had felt at the swift arrival of J had now truly dissipated.

"There's no chance of a stay? A commutation?" J had seen his pupil at his lowest; even so Heero hated the edge of desperation in his voice. He didn't even need J to answer. The situation was hopeless, he knew. The promise he had made to Duo forced him to ask.

"I'm sorry, my boy." J said. "They're going to kill you." Heero banged his metal wrist casings against the floor once. His chin dropped down to rest against his chest and J heard him take in a shuddering breath. Could it be his boy was finally afraid of death? "They tell me you shouldn't feel any pain," he offered.

"Are you trying to make a joke?" Heero asked. "I already know that dying hurts like hell." It was true; the boy had thrown himself willingly into deaths embrace more times than he could remember. Had sacrificed and had never asked anything in return. Now some pissed off and shit scared bureaucrats were following through on trumped up charges. It simply wouldn't do. J's hand shifted to the hollow compartment in his metallic arm. Hopefully it's contents would salvage the situation.

"Maybe you won't be going straight to hell," J said as he walked away from his condemned pupil. "Have some hope," Heero looked up and the mention of that yearned for word but J was already gone. The guard leered at him before closing the door. He still felt dirty, could still feel the guards hot breath against his ear but maybe the price had been worth it. J was as mysterious as always, Heero knew what the man had said was true. The execution would not be stopped through legal channels. J said they would kill him. He also said to have hope.

All Heero Yuy could do now was sit and wait and watch the time march on.

19 hours, 57 minutes left.

--------------------

Ten people would officially witness the death of Heero Yuy, other than the warden and medical team. Five of those would be members of the press. The top media companies had fought with rabid ferocity to gain a spot. They had wanted vid cams to be authorized but even the officials who despised Yuy felt sick at the thought of his execution broadcast live across the world and beyond.

The other five would be Heero Yuy's friends and family:

Duo Maxwell

Trowa Barton

Quatre Barton

Chang Wufei

Relena Darlian

Rock Miller was the warden of AIS prison. He would be in the Black Room with the condemned when he took that final breath. The ten witnesses would be in two separate rooms, overlooking the Black Room through large windows. Miller had been present at the executions of 73 people. In the hours leading up to the main event he usually felt calm and numb. On this occasion he just felt...wrong. His eyes flicked to the pane of glass that separated the Black room and the family witnesses. He had seen many a hysterical wife, father, child, friend, beat on that reinforced glass with their fists. He wondered how it would hold up against four former Gundam pilots.

He had watched the vid-tape of Duo Maxwell's visit into the prison. Although Maxwell's money and Chang's contacts had allowed the visit to take place it didn't mean it had gone unnoticed. He had found the scene to be oddly moving and knew, in his position, that it wasn't a good thing. Beyond the hype and mythology that had been built around Heero Yuy, the warden had been surprised to find himself liking the young man. Heero had been a model prisoner and possessed a black sense of humour that made him smile. As a result Miller had made sure that the guards with unsavoury reputations had been stationed far away from Heero's cell. That didn't mean that the odd twisted individual didn't slip through the cracks. He thought with distaste about the other vid-tape featuring Heero Yuy and one of his now ex-employees.

"Warden?" the soft voice interrupted his anxious thinking and made him start.

"I'm the warden," he said, the obviousness of his statement echoed in his ears. Today was getting to him already. His eyes took in the disfigured form of the speaker without judgement and he held out his hand to shake.

"My name is J," he said, shaking the wardens hand. "I've come to help you."

"Oh really?" Miller asked, eyes moving to his watch. 19 hours, 50 minutes.

"I need to speak to you about – ."

"I'm sorry," the warden interrupted. "I'm late for a press conference." With that Miller left the room, hurrying down the corridor, readying himself to face a hungry media. J waited.

--------------------

"Are you sure you want to watch this?" Trowa asked as Duo Maxwell slumped down between him and Quatre on the hotel couch. Duo shook his head in a negative but his hands grabbed the remote anyway. The Bartons' sandwiched Duo between them, hoping their presence would impart a little comfort. Wufei was pacing restlessly by the door, his brief glimpse of Heero had left him shaken. Duo switched to channel 501.

"Hello, this is ESN special coverage of the Heero Yuy execution, I'm May Holywood reporting live from AIS prison."

"And I'm Henny Cotton in the studio. I'd like to welcome all our viewers from across the Earth and the Colonies, please stay with us during the build up to this historic event. What is the atmosphere like there, May?"

"Well, Henny, the atmosphere is tense here as members of the press wait for a briefing from AIS warden, Rock Miller. As you know, in just under 20 hours the UNES government will execute former Gundam pilot 01, Heero Yuy. Here at ESN we'll be bringing you up to date information as well as interviews with witnesses, AIS staff and reactions from the public. Hang on – I think, yes Rock Miller has just entered the room. The press here is going crazy. Mr Miller! Mr Miller!"

The television set faded to black as Wufei yanked the power cord from the wall. He turned to face his three comrades as if expecting an angry response but the only emotion he could sense, beyond the pain and confusion, was relief.

"They're cheap," Wufei said, continuing to pace. He made two circuits of the room before his notorious temper finally exploded. "What the hell are we doing?! Why are we letting this happen? This just isn't right! We should be fighting this, fighting them! We should - " Wufei's rant ran on, he wasn't even aware of what he was saying anymore but the weeks of anger and fear just seemed to finally explode. His breath hitched and suddenly the words dissolved into sobs. Legs collapsed but three sets of strong arms wrapped around him, steadying his fall. Wufei turned his face away, still ashamed of his tears though he could feel hot drops soaking his back where Trowa's head lay and hear Duo and Quatre fighting for breath.

Deep inside he knew why. They were under constant surveillance now. Security had only allowed them into AIS thanks to healthy bribes and honour debts. Even then, they had been stripped of all weaponry, accompanies by several guards and assured that if they tried anything slightly suspicious they would find Trowa and Quatre with bullets between their eyes.

They were trapped.

Helpless, hapless, hopeless.

And the clock ticked ever on.

To Be Continued...

Love it or hate it, let me know! Review!


	3. The Memories

Here's part three, thanks to everyone who's reviewed, it keeps me at it!

3. The Memories

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for staying with us. I'm Henny Cotton for ESN, live in the studio. It's now 5am at the AIS secure facility where Heero Yuy is set to be executed by lethal injection in less than one hour. We here at ESN have been watching through the night. Security over at AIS is unprecedented, a testament to the threat still posed by former Gundam pilot 01."

-------------------

58 minutes left. Oh God. Heero's brain was firing on overtime. Out of options, oh God, oh God. The warden was sitting in front of him, calmly explaining that due to Heero holding Father Drivalian hostage four hours earlier there had been a slight change in planned events. He would not be allowed to see friends or family. He would be administered with a sedative twenty minutes beforehand. He would not be allowed to walk to the execution chamber. He would be strapped to a custom made gurney and wheeled to his death. If his witnesses wished to be in attendance they would submit to a sedative, they would submit to being restrained. They would be under armed guard at all times.

The words sickened him. It all came down to submission. He had never surrendered before, he'd be damned if he did it now. Yet things had never been this bleak. Before it had been war, everyone had done what they had to in order to survive. The enemy captured one of the pilots, the others retrieved with bullets and blood flying and they all lived to terrorise another day. Now it was different. Now there was peace, and Heero had never before thought he could resent that. He had never before thought that he, of all people, could be naive. But he had been. And he was paying for it.

When he was approached by UNES officials with the proposition to head a new sub-division of Preventers he had been intrigued and excited. That didn't last long. Horror was soon his prevalent emotion as the officials painted him an all too familiar picture. The Preventer Specials: an elite unit, which would repress any and all activities that promoted something different than approved government ideology. He rejected them, leaving the officials in no doubt that if he ever heard a whisper of Preventer Specials "repressing" anyone, he would go straight to the press. Heero walked away and the officials let him. He had not thought about the possibility of retribution. But they had.

The Minister for the Interior was a powerful and well-respected member of the government. He had huge popularity with both the colonies and Earth. His policies on policing and security were considered to be tolerant and fair. On March 4th the Minister, his wife and their three children, ages nine, seven and four, were found brutally murdered in their home. Heero Yuy's prints were found at the scene. The murder weapons were found in his home. Plans to assassinate five more high-ranking government officials were found on his laptop. The case against him was airtight. His protestations of innocence and claims of knowing about government corruption, of being set up, only made him seem crazy in the eyes of the jury, the media and the world. They had done their job well. Now all Heero could hope for was a 6am miracle.

-------------------

"Arm please," the AIS med chief said.

"This is ridiculous," Relena Darlian's cool voice echoed in the small room. "What threat am I? Let me see Heero," the med chief was unmoved.

"I'm sorry Ma'am," he replied. "I'm just following procedure. He took a priest hostage earlier today; we aren't allowing any more visitors. If you wish to be a witness, you will give me your arm."

"This is wrong," she said. "Even if he did commit those crimes, if we make him pay with his life, how are we any better?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am," the med chief repeated, he was a kind looking man in his mid-forties at least. "I'm just doing – "

"Do you have any children?" Relena asked, taking in the wedding ring and deep laugh lines with sharp eyes.

"I don't think - "

"Do you have any children?" There was steel in her voice this time and the med chief could see the politician that held sway over so many.

"Yes Ma'am," he said. "Two boys."

"And is there any crime they could commit - " He held up one hand in the universal sign for stop. In his eyes, although protective walls had arisen, she could see she had him convinced.

"Give me your arm." He said. "Now Miss or get out. No disrespect."

"Imagine it's one of your sons in that cell," she said as she held out her left arm. The med chief prepared the sedative, trying to ignore the blonde haired woman. "Will God ever forgive you for something like this?"

He made no reply. Relena looked away as the silver needle slid beneath her skin.

--------------------

Relena walked slowly out of the room, a hand pressed to her head. She could feel the sedative taking hold already. She could feel the world spinning.

"I think you'd better sit down," Quatre said with a hint of a smile, as he led the swaying Relena over to one of the chairs set out for them.

"Chang Wufei, please," Wufei rose to his feet, and strode over to the med room, glowering darkly at the armed guard who followed. The other guards in the room did not take their eyes off the distressed bundle of energy currently pacing up and down the waiting area. They feverently hoped that he was called in next.

Duo Maxwell could not stop moving. Could not stop talking. If he stopped that meant he would have to think. If he thought...well, he really didn't want to think right now. Quatre was helping. Throwing in odd remarks and introducing new inane topics when Duo began to run out of steam. Focusing on the odd stream of conversation was helping Quatre too. A welcome distraction from the, now familiar, burning ache in his chest.

Trowa Barton watched as Duo paced up and down in front of his husband. This was going to be bad. Quatre's guilt complex was going to kick into over-drive and Duo – . He couldn't predict what direction the volatile American's grief would take but that didn't stop twenty different scenarios flitting through his mind. Duo with a gun, smiling as he shot himself. Duo with a bomb, watching quietly as AIS burned. Duo with razors, drugs, fists, alcohol, rope, fire, tears, screams. Holy fuck.

"Shut up," he whispered, earning an odd look from Quatre. Trowa pressed his fists against his temples and tried to breath deeply through his nose.

And what about Heero? Trowa felt guilty for not thinking of him sooner. Wrapped in gundanium, alone, just waiting. And Heero had gone through so much already. Trowa's mind drifted back to the broken body he had recovered, so sure that it wouldn't make it. But that stubborn heart just kept on beating. Not for much longer. Would it hurt? Trowa wondered. The warden had said no. They were going to bury him. That powerful body trapped in a box. Such a small wooden thing. No room to move. Sealed in tight. No light to see. Buried under six feet of heavy black earth. Black like space. Cold and alone. No air to breathe. No air to breathe. No - .

Duo and Quatre's conversation came to an abrupt end as a pained wheeze came from Trowa. The brunette was bent almost double in his chair, his bangs shaded his face but they could hear his breathing was too fast and shallow and see hands pressed against his throat. Instantly the two men were crouched at his side.

"Trowa!" Quatre called his husbands name in panic himself, hands hovering unsure where to touch.

"Can't breathe," the words were almost inaudible but Duo caught them. Panic attack, he determined quickly.

"Yes you can," Duo said firmly as he pulled the hands away from Trowa's throat and forced him to sit up. "Look at Quat', okay? Look at his chest, follow him," Trowa's wild eyes followed Duo's command and sought out his husband. Quatre exaggerated his breathing, slow and deep from the diaphragm, so Trowa could clearly see and mimic the motion. Trowa's breath hitched as he fought for the pattern but after a couple of repetitions his body co-operated and he finally caught his wind.

"Sorry," he said shakily, embarrassed to have been so caught up in a panic attack. Two sets of arms enveloped him and he was caught in a comforting three-way hug.

"Love you," Quatre whispered. Duo tried to speak but the words caught in his throat and he settled for giving Trowa an extra squeeze before pulling away to let the spouses have a moment. Heero.

"Hey there Queenie," he said with forced cheer. Relena looked at him with eyes that were completely glazed over. "How you liking your drug cocktail? It doing it for ya?" She laughed quietly, not really processing the words.

"I like your hair," she confided in a whisper. Heero. Duo closed his eyes as he fought off the memory of a deeper voice saying those words, of a strong hand caressing - .

"Yeah," Duo said. "You ain't the only one,"

--------------------

"Arm please," the AIS med chief said.

"You support this execution," the dark eyes of Chang Wufei pinned the med chief as he spoke. It was not a question.

"I'm sorry?" the med chief responded in surprise.

"You are the chief medical officer for AIS prison. 122 executions have taken place here over the last five years. If you live with any sense of integrity you must support what is done in this building," The med chief opened his mouth and closed it again. He was really starting to hate the warden for making him sedate the witnesses. He had never even seen a condemned's witnesses before, let alone spoken with them. Doing his job from behind a screen had certainly lessened the burden on his conscience.

"My beliefs are irrelevant," he protested as he turned to pick up the needle.

"True," the word was said with such distain that the warden felt his usually still temper begin to stir.

"Fine, yes. Yes I support it. Are you happy now?"

"I suppose you have your reasons. Misguided as they might be," Anger spiked and faded in the med chief, leaving him steely numb.

"My wife is dead." He said, as surprised as Wufei that he had made such a revelation. "They said it was a mugging gone wrong. And they never found the bastard that – "He broke off, his thumb moved to fondle his wedding ring in an unconscious gesture of comfort.

"My wife, she was also..." Wufei trailed off but continued stronger. "I lived for revenge. I slaughtered hundreds in my search for justice. But all I did was perpetuate the chain of violence and created a hundred versions of myself, grieving widowers, burning for revenge."

"Arm please," the med chiefs voice was not steady, shaken at seeing a reflection of himself in the young man from L5.

"You think you are noble," Wufei said, his quiet voice devastating in it's analysis. "You think that a just world requires the death penalty as retribution for murder." Wufei held out his arm, his face was calm despite the fact that the needle wavered slightly in the med chief's hands.

"Be quiet," he said. "No disrespect." The med chief calmed his nerves and the point of the needle slid under Wufei's skin. The ex-Gundam pilot's eyes never wavered from his face, waiting for the med chief to make eye contact. Eventually he had to. Then Wufei spoke.

"You think you are delivering just retribution. Retribution is just another word for revenge."

--------------------

"You're a busy man, Warden," J said from the darkness, causing the Warden to jump in surprise as he entered his office. "You really should try to delegate some things or you'll be getting a visit from the God of Death sooner than you expected,"

"Why are you still here?" Miller asked sharply. He hadn't slept, hadn't stopped in the last 24 hours. He was so tired. Everything seemed to be falling apart around him. The press had been like rabid hyenas, a total nightmare to deal with. Especially after the news of the hostage situation that had been resolved only four hours earlier. Poor Father Drivalian would be needing assistance getting to the bathroom over the next few weeks. Miller had the feeling that he had better start praying for a miracle if he wanted to resolve this situation smoothly.

"Like I said," J continued. "You've been so busy running around that we haven't had a chance to have a little chat,"

"You wanted to talk about Yuy, right?" the Warden asked and he sat behind his desk with a relieved grunt.

"Precisely, yes, I wanted – " J's words were cut short as a dishevelled woman in a doctor's coat burst through the door unannounced.

"Warden, I'm sorry, but - " she gasped for air. "You need to know. It's the Chief," the warden held up his hands, gesturing for her to stop a moment.

"Calm down - " he dug for a name but came up short, he quickly improvised. "sweetheart, what's Gwock want now?" The woman grimaced at the sweetheart comment but let it go.

"He says he quits, Sir," she said and waited for the explosive response. She wasn't disappointed.

"What?" the Warden jerked to his feet and slammed his hands on the desk. His eyes sought out the clock. 47 minutes left. This wasn't happening to him. Of course it had happened before. In this profession it was to be expected. But it had never taken place with such an high-ranking member of staff, never so close to a deadline. "What, in the name of all things holy, does he think he's playing at? There's no one else qualified - ?" he let the unnecessary question tail off, he already knew the answer. Without med chief Gwock the execution could not go ahead. They'd have to delay by a day and get in someone from a neighbouring facility. He hated to put Heero and his family and friends through the delay though. In the end, the waiting was the hardest part.

"Sir?" the woman ventured.

"Okay, we'll have to postpone. Put in a call to Barker over at Pen West, lets see if he can – "

"Actually," J interrupted. "I happen to know a superbly qualified gentlemen who is in town tonight. Perhaps you've heard of Greyson?" Miller paused, the name was awfully familiar. Could it be his prayers were being answered?

"Doesn't he work at – ?"

"Yes, and he's a faultless professional. If you like I could call him right now?"

"It's such short notice. Don't you think he'll be too – ?"

"Oh I'm sure it will be no trouble," J smiled. "No trouble at all," the Warden couldn't help but smile back, looks like he'd get his 6am miracle after all, with a full 44 minutes to spare.

To Be Continued...

Like or loathe, let me know!


	4. Barriers

4. Barriers

/So, what? You're just gonna sit there?/

Duo Maxwell frowned, the expression taking a greater amount of concentration than usual. The drugs were hitting him hard. And now the voice of god knows what part of his psyche had chosen to start heckling him. He flexed his hands. His arms ached but he couldn't stretch them, they were tied to a chair. It was a little restricting.

/Please. That's a piss poor excuse for a knot and you know it./

The voice refused to shut up. Duo blinked, feeling sluggish, he couldn't focus enough to make it stay quiet, stay repressed. His somewhat glazed eyes flickered to the armed guard standing next to Trowa at the end of the line.

/A goddamned rookie. You can take 'im./

Duo looked along the room, from Trowa's impassive mask to Relena, struggling for coherency with a system not used to anything stronger than aspirin. On his right hand side Wufei was taking deep calming breaths and past him sat Quatre. The blond was staring straight back in Duo's direction, gaze full of a maelstrom that Duo just couldn't deal with.

/You fucking coward. Yeah, don't think I don't know what you're doin'./

Duo gave Quatre what he hoped was a comforting smile; in reality he didn't know what the expression looked like.

/Lookin' everywhere but him./

Finally Duo looked straight ahead. Through the window. Into the black room. His lover, his husband, was strapped to a gurney. Plastic intravenous lines were running over and into him. His dark blue eyes were focused on the Warden. The room was soundproof but Duo followed the movement of their lips, the banality of the conversation was almost amusing.

/You didn't answer my question./

The medical team were moving up now. Three of them, two men and one woman. Checking the restraints. Checking the IV. Those innocent plastic tubes soon to be filled with lethal fluids. Duo knew he'd always remember their faces.

/Are you just gonna sit there?/

...

/Coward..

/You gonna let our boy die like this?/

/Well?/

Duo swallowed thickly. He hated sedatives; they always made his mouth feel so damned dry. He wondered what lack of medical innovation meant they couldn't create sedatives that didn't inflict dry mouth on their victims.

/Well?/

He licked his lips.

"Hell no,"

* * *

"Are you comfortable?" the Warden asked in a voice that suggested the question was nothing more than a requirement. Heero glared up at him.

"This is just how I relax at home," he said in a dry voice. The gundanium table was cold against his exposed skin; it seeped through his thin clothes, contaminating every part of him with numbness. The nurse who had stuck him with the IV needle had been either incompetent, nervous or sadistic. It had taken her four tries to successfully find a vein as a result his arm throbbed and sported several colourful bruises. The Warden had to turn away and repress a smile at the boy's dark humour. He couldn't afford any emotions at the moment. This was just business. Calm, detached, emotionless business.

"All of the witnesses are in place," he informed the prone boy. "The med team will make a final check. I will lower the microphone; you can say your last words. When you are finished the executioner will begin. Do you understand?"

"Sounds wonderful," Heero said. His system was churning. This was it then. Ten minutes more and he'd be dead. If he were Duo he could delay for an hour, talk and talk until the executioner decided he didn't need to wait for the prisoner to finish his last words. Heero couldn't do that. Just knowing his husband, his best friends, were watching, would witness his execution, it made his throat tighten. He turned his head as best he could and looked over to the two windows but only saw the black room reflecting back at him. He didn't know which room held his family and which held the bloodthirsty press. He couldn't see Duo, couldn't make eye contact one last time. Despite the fact that he was breaking his final promise to his husband, he hoped that Duo could forgive him.

The med-team surrounded him, their capable hands checking the numerous Gundanium restraints and the tender IV line. Heero made unexpected eye contact with the man checking his left wrist restraint and had to control a gasp of surprise. What the hell was Greyson doing there? It could be a coincidence, or perhaps J had not abandoned him after all. His blue eyes searched the man's face, hoping for a hint of a fellow conspirator, but the doctor remained impassive, doing his job and then disappearing behind a screen. Maybe hope wasn't lost completely.

Heero disliked Greyson under normal circumstances. The lanky man had worked directly beneath J and had held none of his affection towards the young Japanese boy. He had often taken experiments much further than J had authorized, causing immeasurable pain to Heero in the process. The man had not been stupid either; he had left no lasting physical evidence of his misdemeanours and manipulated J enough that the older doctor dismissed Heero's complaints as flights of fancy. Simple teenage rebellion. J trusted Greyson implicitly. Heero could only hope that he was here to help, rather than cause further harm.

"Are you ready?" the Warden asked, reclaiming Heero's attention. The microphone had been lowered. Heero regarded the thing with a baleful eye. He had never had Duo's ease at being the centre of attention and he was certainly that now. Public speaking had never been his forte either. When it had become apparent that he would have no escape he had begun to contemplate exactly what his famous last words should be. The pressure Heero felt was considerable, especially when he knew they would be heard by ten important people. Five of them important because they would relay his final moments, final words to the world. The other five important on an infinitely more personal level. One person more important than them all. Heero knew he would never feel ready or prepared for this but his time had trickled away. He had no choice. Speak now or forever hold your peace. The official had said that at their wedding. Duo. Heero took a deep breath and wet his lips. First, he would speak to the world, then his friends and finally his husband.

* * *

/He's gonna die if you don't hurry it up./

Duo grit his teeth and did his best to ignore the pragmatic voice. Like he wasn't working under enough pressure as it was. He had already popped his thumbs out of their sockets; the sedative meant he felt the pain from a vague distance. It meant he would be able to slip his hands free of their bindings when the moment was right. His feet were giving him the trouble. The trick was to loosen the knots without the armed guard taking notice. It was a slow process and Duo's heart beat faster with every precious second that ticked by.

/Dragon boy's seen what you're up too. He gonna rat us out?/

Duo cast a surreptitious glance in Wufei's direction and caught his friend registering the unnatural angle of his thumbs. Wufei's dark eyes shot up to catch Duo's own and in that instant Duo knew that no, Wufei would not call attention to his last ditch effort to rescue Heero. The dark haired man knew only too well the pain of losing someone you loved and respected to death's embrace.

/Hurry./

The ropes that bound his feet reclaimed Duo's attention and he began his efforts anew. He couldn't stop the feeling of panic that began to rise in him. Years of experience had taught him that he needed one of two things to get him out of his bonds: his hands or time. He had neither.

/Hurry. Hurry./

Feedback from a microphone made Duo wince and grit his teeth. A moment later and the horrific sound faded away, replaced by the familiar tones of his husband's voice. Duo's movements slowed but did not stop completely, his attention divided.

/Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. He's gonna die if you don't hurry, you useless bastard!/

As the previously calm voice turned hysterical and abusive, Duo struggled to maintain his own tenuous grip on sanity. He was almost there, so close to freedom he could taste it. So very close, and then Heero's words bought his efforts to a standstill.

* * *

"I do not care how the world remembers me. Think what you like. I only ask that you watch the Preventers. Do not let them become the newest incarnation of the Alliance, of Oz. Do not let the peace we paid for with blood be destroyed so easily. If the Preventers are stopped at least my death will have served some purpose.

To my friends, I know you will lead great lives. I am proud to have known you. Please take care of Duo for me. Don't let him do anything stupid.

Duo...Love...I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I tried. I love you. Please, I want you to live and be happy. I'll be...I'll be looking for your smile" He sighed. "I'm done."

* * *

Behind the screen Greyson had prepared the necessary chemicals for the execution of Heero Yuy. Officially the lethal injection process actually comprised of three drugs. An anaesthetic, so the boy would feel no pain. A paralysing agent to stop the boy from breathing. And finally the toxin. To stop his heart. To kill him. Greyson pocketed the now half empty vial that J had given to him only minutes earlier. Their plan was by no means fool proof. The boy would probably die anyway. All anyone could do now was hope.

* * *

Feeling cold and a little nauseated, Rock Miller, Warden of AIS prison, glanced at his watch. It was 6:03am. The witnesses were in place. The condemned had said his last words. The phone on the wall of the Black Room remained ominously silent. There was nothing left to do. He hit the green button next to the phone. This button switched on the green light behind the screen and notified the medical chief, the executioner, to proceed. For a moment nothing happened. The Warden heard a muffled shout from one of the witness rooms. He disregarded it. Usually he heard screams. He tensed further as still nothing happened. Finally he saw it. The first fluid racing along the tube edging ever closer to the condemned's body. He rubbed his neck muscles as the condemned's eyes closed under the effects of the anaesthesia. Another yell came from the same witness room along with the sound he had heard so many other times whilst stood in this room; the sound of flesh hitting glass. The flow of the anaesthetic had stopped; saline solution now flushed the IV. Flesh hit glass again. He turned to his second in command.

"They are supposed to be restrained in there," he kept his voice low out of respect for the occasion. "Go and see what's going on." His second in command nodded sharply and turned to leave the Black Room. The Warden gripped his arm, restraining him for the moment. "Take someone else with you, and go in armed. These men are dangerous."

"Yes sir,"

The Warden turned his eyes back to the condemned. The paralysing agent was now flowing into the condemned's body. The Warden frowned, something about the scene was wrong though he couldn't place his finger on what – Oh Lord. Blue eyes were staring up at the ceiling, taut fine lines around those eyes indicated pain. The anaesthesia hadn't worked.

Without wasting another moment the Warden strode across the room and ducked behind the screen to join Greyson who looked rather annoyed at the interruption.

"The condemned is awake," Greyson's eyes widened with shock at the hissed revelation.

"That's not possible," he said firmly. "I administered a 5 gram dose of sodium thiopental, he should have been out in ten seconds."

"Well he's not," The Warden assured him vehemently. "Fix it," His command issued, the Warden strode back into the main chamber. His eyes turned sympathetic as they focused on the pained expression on Yuy's face. The second drug was doing its work, he noticed with detachment, Yuy's chest was no longer moving.

Behind the screen Greyson was not happy. He had underestimated the boy's tolerance of anaesthetic drugs. Now he had a choice. He could administer an extra dose of sedative and ease the boy's pain. Or he could dispense the final chemical. This chemical was not the toxin potassium chloride, which he was supposed to administer, but a formula of J's own design. The formula was in the experimental stages and J had warned him to keep the level of anaesthetic as low as possible while still rendering the boy unconscious. If the levels of sodium thiopental were too high there was an increased possibility of failure. He made his choice. Greyson bypassed the anaesthetic and injected the final chemical into the IV. The boy would suffer. He knew that. The boy would suffer immense pain but be unable to move. Greyson smiled as he increased the flow. Such was the cost of doing business.

* * *

The viewing room was in chaos. After what had felt like a lifetime Duo Maxwell had freed himself from his bonds. He had disabled the guards. He had picked up the chair to which he'd been strapped and was currently slamming it against the glass with all his strength. Duo didn't know how long it would take for him to find his way through the corridors of the complex so he had decided to take the most direct route possible. He ignored his protesting muscles and swung the chair again. A grim wave of satisfaction swept through him as cracks appeared, spider web like, in the glass. One more hit should do it.

/Too slow kid, you're gonna be too late./

"Duo, stop this!"

"Listen to us, for God's sake Duo,"

Duo ignored the voices both inside and out, only focused on the window. He couldn't let himself look beyond. Couldn't let himself see if he was already too late. He swung the chair again. The spider webs spread and then, with a deafening crash, the window fell. Without hesitation Duo jumped through the opening, heedless of the shards that showered his clothes and skin. People tried to block his path but he easily threw them aside. The shouting that had filled the room quieted as Duo reached his goal.

/Told you so.../

"Heero," Duo didn't recognise his own voice, his throat was so tight that the noise was barely a whisper. Those familiar blue eyes were dark and Duo could see that tiny line between Heero's brows that meant he was in pain. Duo felt his eyes begin to burn but fought back the onset of tears. He had to be strong. Recognition dawned in Heero's clouded eyes and Duo felt hope flutter once more inside him. Heero's lips moved though no sound came forth. Duo knew those lips better than he knew his own, had explored every inch of them and the warmth that lay beyond. As he read their message now he could almost hate them. That little breath of hope was trampled and panic took its place.

"Love you. I'm sorry." Heero said without words.

"It's okay, I'm gonna get you out of here," Duo felt tears begin to trickle down his cheeks unable to hold them back any more. "You just hold on okay, 'Ro? Okay? Heero!"

The boy on the table didn't respond. Blue eyes continued to gaze up at him but Duo could tell that they were sightless now. The intense, passionate, selfless man that he loved had slipped through his fingers. There was a steady high pitched noise in the air that meant his lover's heart was no longer beating. Duo reached out to stroke Heero's wild brown hair and noticed distantly that his hand was shaking. How many times had he done this now? Duo pondered the thought and felt his control begin to waver as memories of all those people he'd loved and failed to save flashed painfully sharp in his mind. He couldn't add Heero's name to that litany of death. Heero had promised, he'd sworn not to leave him. Control and sanity both abandoned Duo as he looked down and saw all those tubes and wires attached to the man he loved. Desperately he tore them away one by one as if by removing them Heero would somehow be restored to life.

"I won't let this happen," he told Heero with determination as he started CPR. Stimulate the heart. Provide the lungs with oxygen. Repeat, repeat, repeat. The voices started up again, urging him to quit, telling him that Heero was gone. He couldn't listen. Duo kept going until his arms burned with fatigue and his eyes stung with tears. Every time he placed his lips to Heero's they felt a little colder. "Get up, Yuy. You promised me this wouldn't happen, you promised," Duo kept pushing down on Heero's chest, ever harder as his desperation built. "Don't you fucking dare leave me," Duo pushed down once, twice, three times. He put every bit of his growing fury into the action and the next time he pushed down on Heero's chest something gave beneath his hands with a sickening crack. Duo staggered back from the table, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Here now, you come with me," the Warden, being either brave or stupid, stepped between Duo and the body. "There's nothing you can do for him now," Those wide violet eyes narrowed and the Warden felt a chill run over his skin. He'd seen a young man grieving for his husband. Now he saw a Gundam Pilot. He saw the Death God that had reduced seasoned veterans to tears and pleas and screams. There was nothing between them now, no protective screen or loyal guards, just him and Shinigami. The Warden found himself rooted to the spot, entranced by those dark violet eyes.

"You're dead," Shinigami said. The Warden swallowed involuntarily, a show of weakness that he immediately berated himself for. He wanted to glance around the Black Room to check if help were nearby, but he didn't dare to break eye contact with the man before him. The Warden barely had a second to brace himself as Duo launched himself forward. The ex-Gundam pilot caught Miller in a brutal tackle which sent them both down hard on the sterilised floor. The Warden's head and back took the brunt of the impact leaving him winded and dazed. Duo recovered from the fall first and reared up to straddle the prone man. A sneer marred Duo's normally handsome face as he pulled back his fist and struck the Warden again and again and again. Though the violet eyes showed nothing but rage, bordering on insanity, the blows fell in a calculated rhythm that had his victim tasting blood and seeing stars. With his arms pinned to his sides by Duo's legs, the Warden could do nothing to protect himself. His head was snapped from side to side with the force of the strikes. He was resigned to becoming another victim of the Black Room when the blows stopped and the weight that held him pinned was removed.

The Warden lay still for a moment, tensed for further violence, but nothing came. With great effort he managed to prise open his eyes and raise his head. He flinched at the sight in front of him. Duo Maxwell was a spitting, snarling animal, straining to get at his prey. Fortunately for the Warden he was being restrained by Chang Wufei and Trowa Barton. He could see that their mouths were moving, see Duo snap a reply, but no sound penetrated the ringing of his ears. Endorphins were keeping away the worst of the pain and the Warden only hoped that he passed out before they wore off. He saw his attacker wrench an arm free and punch Chang Wufei solidly across the jaw. The Warden squinted, trying to see Chang's response, but his vision was beginning to blur. Rock Miller, Warden of AIS Prison and overseer of the execution of Heero Yuy, had his hope realised as his vision faded to white and he fell into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness.

"You get your sticking hands offa me," Duo growled as he was pulled away from his prey and dragged backwards by strong hands.

"Maxwell, control yourself," Wufei said sharply as he struggled to keep his hold on Duo's arm. Wufei glanced and the figure sprawled on the floor and couldn't determine just how much damage his friend had done. The Warden's nose had obviously been broken and copious amounts of blood obscured the rest of his features. A twitch of movement reassured Wufei that the man was alive, at least for the moment. With that small comfort the Preventer agent turned his full attention back to the young man trying to escape his grasp.

"I'm going to kill him. He's dead," Duo said as he struggled against the hands that pulled him back.

"Duo, stop," Trowa commanded as he struggled to get a good grip on Duo's arm. The braided man showed no signs of calming and Wufei felt his own desperation and frustration rise in equal measure.

"We're not going to let you do this," Wufei told him.

"Screw you," Duo snapped. His eyes never left the Warden's prone form.

"That's enough," Wufei replied, his temper finally escaping his ragged control. "If you don't let this go, they're going to do to you what they did to Yuy!" As soon as the words left his mouth Wufei regretted them. He looked over at the cooling body of Heero Yuy and felt guilt wash over him. Wufei was not allowed to repent for long as Duo took advantage of the situation and escaped Trowa's grasp. Duo punched Wufei with all the strength he could muster in his slightly restricted position. Wufei rocked with the force of the blow and made no move to retaliate. Although Duo could have now leapt on the Warden if he so chose, all that he could do was stare at his former brother-in-arms. Wufei's words echoed through Duo's mind. Do to him what they did to Heero.

/And what did they do exactly?/

Duo shook his head violently as he felt hysteria rear up inside him. Self-preservation meant that he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge what had become of his husband.

/Coward. I told you. I told you! I told you you'd fail him, you worthless, good for nothin', piece of – /

"Shut up!" Duo almost screamed, clamping his hands against his ears and closing his eyes. Thankfully his conscience obeyed for the moment and Duo took several deep breaths as he fought to regain his composure. A strong hand gripped Duo's arm, bringing him back to reality. Duo forced himself to open his eyes and saw Quatre now standing before him.

"Come on Duo," Quatre said. "We have to get you out of this room." Quatre's visage was calm and collected, his business face, Duo noted. Duo felt torn at the suggestion. He wanted to leave, he wanted to run far, far away and curl up in the corner of some dark room. He wanted that so much, now that the thought had occurred to him, that Duo struggled to stay where he was. But there was another part of him, a part that was broken and screaming for him not to leave Heero alone. That he wasn't dead, that it wasn't real. That part was praying to any deity that might exist to please, please let this be a bad dream, to let him wake up and be in Heero's arms.

"Quatre, I can't - ," Whatever Duo had been about to say was forgotten as he caught sight of a tall, thin doctor walking over to Heero and starting to remove the Gundanium restraints which held the body to the gurney.

"Duo, please let's just go now," Quatre said in low voice, trying to cut through the madness that he could sense brewing in his friend once more. He pulled firmly on Duo's arm as Trowa and Wufei moved to flank their distressed fried.

"No," Duo resisted their attempts to move him and tried to get closer to the stranger who was touching his husband. The urge to protect surged inside of him and rational thought slipped away once more. This time though the medical staff of AIS had managed to recover from their initial shock and were better equipped to address the potentially violent situation. Duo was so focused on his target that he didn't even feel the needle slip into his veins. The sedative, combined with the drugs already in Duo's system, acted quickly and the raging man soon found his movements becoming sluggish and his vision was swimming.

"It'll be okay," a vaguely recognisable voice tried to comfort Duo as he swayed where he stood, still desperately trying to hold on to consciousness. "Just go to sleep, it'll all be okay,"

"Heero," Duo said, wanting the voice he heard to be his lover's, wanting the arms which were now gently lowering him to the floor to be his love's. Rather than face up to the heartbreaking truth Duo indulged in the fantasy, almost smelling Heero's scent, almost feeling lips caress his neck. He held onto that wish like a lifeline and allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness, knowing (wishing, praying, hoping) that Heero had his back.

Quatre cradled Duo in his arms and watched as his friend finally submitted to the lure of the drugs. The blond surveyed the wreckage left in the aftermath of Hurricane Shinigami. There was a broken window, glass everywhere, a beaten Warden, several dazed medics, a bruised Wufei, a stoic Trowa, an unconscious Duo and …

…and the body of Heero Yuy. The soul of outer space was dead. Quatre felt the urge to shout, scream, cry, but shoved it all down. There would be time to grieve later. For now all he could do was to hold Duo in his arms and try to keep breathing.

* * *

AIS prison had taken care of the burial. The events which had taken place during the execution of Heero Yuy had been a source of huge embarrassment for them and the officials wanted him in the ground, wanted the whole matter forgotten. There had been no funeral service, no eulogy, no blessing for the former Gundam pilot. Anyone that cared enough about Heero to want such things were too preoccupied with keeping his widower from losing himself in grief. The headstone had yet to be carved so for the moment all that marked Heero's final resting place was a small plastic sign.

"This is it," Greyson said, as he pulled the sign from the earth and flung it to one side.

"My back isn't what it used to be," remarked Doctor J with a smirk, as he handed Greyson a shovel. "You don't mind doing the dirty work, do you Greyson?" The taller man made no intelligible reply, only grumbling under his breath. He took the shovel and slammed it into the soft earth so that it stood upright. Greyson then walked over to the van, in which the pair had arrived, and retrieved a roll of tarpaulin. He gave one end to J and the pair stretched out the material on the ground, parallel to the grave. Greyson crouched and peeled back the freshly laid sod which had yet to take root in the soil below. Once that was out of the way he grabbed the shovel and set to work. Greyson did not know how much time passed as he dug but by the time that his shovel hit solid wood he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

"Finally," he heard J mutter from above. Greyson ignored the jibe as he worked to uncover the coffin. Once he had cleared away enough earth he used the leverage his shovel provided to open it. Inside the satin lined coffin lay Heero Yuy who, despite the paleness of his skin, looked as though he could be sleeping. Greyson reached down with hands covered in dirt and pulled the body from it's resting place. J threw a harness attached to a rope into the grave which Greyson swiftly strapped Heero's unwieldy body into. It took the pair four attempts but eventually they succeeded in dragging the body from the grave.

"The damned kid's heavier than I remember," Greyson said as he leaned exhaustedly against his shovel. Doctor J looked at the body of 01 stretched out on the grass, his pale features illuminated by the moon's glow. A feeling of pride and self-congratulation fluttered in J's stomach.

"It will be worth the trouble," J said, excitement clear in the old scientists voice. "If we can pull this off it will be the greatest achievement in the history of science. My formula will give people the ability to cheat death itself," J walked over to the grave and stared down into the gaping maw, the empty coffin. "I thought that nothing I could do would eclipse the work I did on 01, on the Gundams, on the ZERO system. But this...this is what I will be remembered for. This will be my finest hour,"

"Not quite," came the voice of Greyson from directly behind Doctor J. The elderly man spun as quickly as he could. His last sight on earth was that of the shovel swinging towards his face at huge speed. Greyson's aim was true. The flat of the shovel slammed into J's face with a loud crack. The impact shattered the doctors mechanical goggles forcing shards of glass and metal back through the eye sockets, piercing the brain. The force of the blow sent J stumbling backwards, over the edge, falling down into the open grave. Greyson looked down at the twitching body with a smile. He allowed himself only a moment to savour the raw feeling of power and invincibility that taking a life had given him. With a spring his step and a jaunty whistle on his lips Doctor Greyson began to shovel dirt into the grave.

After an hour of hard work Greyson's work was completed. The grave of Heero Yuy looked undisturbed, even the little plastic sign was back in it's correct place. No one would ever know that the body it now contained did not match the marker. No one would ever know of the finest and final hour of Doctor J. No one but Greyson and he intended to keep that little secret.

Greyson put the shovel and tarpaulin in the back of the van before returning for his prize. He slipped one arm under Heero's knees, the other under his back and lifted him like a bride. The cool flesh of the younger man pressed against Greyson and he could not help but shiver with anticipation. J's greatest achievement snatched away from under him. Greyson's joy was almost too much to contain. He laid Heero's body out on a mattress in the back of the van and stared down at him. If all went to plan he would soon have his pet project back. Only this time, no one else would be involved. No other researchers to condemn him for taking an experiment too far. No J to answer to or take direction from. If all went well then it would be just Greyson, 01 and all the time in the world. Greyson slammed the back door of the van shut. He got into the drivers seat and started the engine. His fingers were trembling as he turned the ignition. This was going to be so much fun.

To Be Continued...

A/N: First of all apologies for how long it's been since I've updated. This chapter has been sitting on my computer for a long time but I just haven't been happy with it. I'm still not happy with it but I don't think it's gonna get any better so I'm posting it. Damn the consequences! Whether you liked or loathed, let me know.


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